Oprah Isn’t The Only One: Black Celebs Who Hosted A Talk Show (Some Successfully, Others Not So Much)

Hosting a talk show isn’t a career path that’s for everyone. If you don’t have a catchy personality and if your people skills suck, it’s likely that you won’t be a great talk show host; hence some of the celebs on this list have had a great run in the daytime arena and others not so much. Let’s take a look.

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Oprah Winfrey

Where would black talk show hosts be if it wasn’t for Oprah? Oprah paved the way, to say the least. The Oprah Winfrey Show was on the air for 25 seasons, starting in 1986. In 2011 Oprah had her final show and instead turned to her own network: OWN.

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Wayne Brady

Wayne Brady hosted the Wayne Brady Show between August 2001 and March 2002. The show, even though it was a variety/talk show, wasn’t a big hit and was taken off the air completely in 2004. Nowadays Wayne hosts a more successful show, Let’s Make a Deal.

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Tempestt Bledsoe

Though best known for her role on The Cosby Show, Tempestt Bledsoe also decided to take a shot at her own talk show. She hosted The Tempestt Bledsoe Show from 1995 through 1996, but it was cancelled after a tough first year.

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Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks is no stranger to hosting t.v. shows. In September 2005 she hosted her own show, often just called Tyra. The show lasted until 2010, but the last new episode aired May 28 of that year. Now Tyra is still on the small screen, hosting America’s Next Top Model.

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Montel Williams

Montel Williams hosted his own self-titled talk show for an entire 17 years. The show was cancelled in 2008 after 4,325 episodes, but just about everyone remembers his favorite guest, psychic Sylvia.

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Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah hosted a talk show, named after herself, from September 1999 until August 2001, when it was cancelled. News has it that the show will be returning in Fall 2013 though.

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Chris Rock

Comedian and t.v. personality Chris Rock hosted his own comedy talk show from 1997 to 2000. Though the show is no longer on the air, in 1999 it won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program.

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Mo’Nique

Mo’Nique’s talk show aired on BET, with the first episode hitting the small screen on October 5, 2009. The show lasted for two seasons until it was cancelled by the network, perhaps due to the comedian’s excessive yelling, which ironically, she was criticized for by Steve Harvey.

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Wendy Williams

The Wendy Williams Show, hosted by the outspoken former radio host, first premiered on t.v. July 14, 2008, when the show was on a trial run to gauge it’s success. After becoming seemingly popular, the show was given a full season and as of now will run through at least 2014.

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Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson hosted a talk show called The Magic Hour. Apparently hosting on the small screen wasn’t Magic’s calling since the show only got one season. Many said Magic looked to be very nervous and didn’t produce much chemistry on the show.

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Arsenio Hall

Arsenio Hall hosted a talk show from January 1989 until May 1994. After 1,248 episodes and plenty of celebrity apperances, the show was cancelled but he’s expected to make a comeback next year.

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Iyanla Vanzant

If you know Iyanla Vanzant’s name, it’s probably because of her notable and common appearances on Oprah’s talk show. She hosted her own talk show for a brief period but it wasn’t very successful. She now has her own series on Oprah’s network.

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Whoopi Goldberg & Sherri Shepherd

Whoopi Golberg and Sherri Shepherd are both hosts on ABC’s The View. The talk show has been on the air since 1997 and both Whoopi and Sherri joined Joy, Barbara, and Elizabeth back in 2007.

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Trisha Goddard

Trisha Goddard is one of very few British black women to ever host a television show. Her show, known simply as Trisha began airing in 1998 and was last on t.v in 2010.